Pep Guardiola admitted it felt “strange” to celebrate Matheus Nunes’s dramatic stoppage-time winner as Manchester City clinched a vital 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.
Nunes struck in the fourth minute of added time to secure three crucial points in City’s push for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification.
The win lifts City to third in the Premier League standings, giving them control of their own destiny with just four games remaining in a turbulent season.
City had been on the brink of a costly draw before Nunes’s decisive moment — a rarity for a side not typically associated with late winners.
“We’re not used to it. That’s more of a Liverpool thing under Jurgen [Klopp], and Arsenal under Mikel [Arteta] as well,” Guardiola said after the match. “It’s not our habit, so I’m really, really happy.”
Nunes’s goal — his first in the league for City — arrived after Marcus Rashford equalized for Villa from the penalty spot, cancelling out Bernardo Silva’s early opener. The penalty, awarded after a VAR review for Ruben Dias’s challenge on Jacob Ramsey, drew a furious reaction from Guardiola, who was booked for protesting to the fourth official.
The dramatic finale marked a rare high point in an otherwise challenging campaign for City, who are set to relinquish the Premier League crown after four straight title-winning seasons.
With Villa slipping to seventh and now two points outside the top five, the loss adds to their disappointment following last week’s painful Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite the setback, Villa boss Unai Emery urged his squad to regroup quickly ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final showdown with Crystal Palace at Wembley.
